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Tyler Morning Telegraph, Texas, business scene column(Tyler Morning Telegraph (TX) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Aug. 26--Suddenlink residential Internet customers in Tyler might notice they can pull up Web pages a bit faster in the next several weeks. Company officials said Suddenlink will increase its speeds for its most popular residential high-speed Internet packages, and customers will not pay more for it. Existing customers will not need to contact Suddenlink to get the faster speeds. The company boasted that, with the new speeds, it will offer "the fastest high-speed Internet services in Tyler." "In today's world, more and more customers demand faster speeds to get work done, watch movies on their computers, play online games and more quickly e-mail photographs and other large files to friends and family," Tyler Suddenlink System Manager Russell Moreland said. "As a leading provider of broadband services to the community, we understand this demand and are responding to it." Suddenlink's Premier Internet service will increase its download speed to 10 megabits per second (Mbps), from 9 Mbps. Preferred Internet service will double its speed, from 4Mbps to 8 Mbps. Value Internet service will remain at 1 Mbps. Each service includes access to e-mail via WebMail, personal WebSpace and Spam Blocker. Premier and Preferred Internet services include a security suite with parental controls, anti-spyware, anti-virus, firewall, and pop-up blocker at no additional cost. Suddenlink also is offering special packaging at a discounted rate to new customers and local college students returning for fall classes. GRANT APPLICATIONS: The East Texas Communities Foundation announced it is requesting grant applications for Smith County charities, as part of its fall Smith County Community Builders Grant program. Nonprofit organizations in Smith County or those who have a significant impact on the residents of Smith County are eligible to apply for the grants. Grant support is available to develop new programs or enhance existing programs and projects. The grant process is funded by an unrestricted charitable endowment fund for Smith County at ETCF. Committee members, chosen by ETCF and the United Way of Smith County, assist with the grant selection process. Last fall, the Smith County Community Builders Grant Program provided funds for projects that included a new treadmill for Cancer Foundation for Life to accommodate cancer survivors and the referrals from Bethesda Clinic, education material for the Parent Services Center, music stands for the Tyler Youth Orchestra and equipment to launch the "Life Disk" program, which will record patient memories and stories as a gift to the family at Hospice of East Texas. People who would like to contribute to the grant program or are seeking more information about it should call Jennifer Moreman, grants and communications director, at 903-533-0208 or [email protected]. For those wanting to apply for a grant, criteria and application procedures are available from the foundation's Web site, www.etcf.org. Completed proposals are due at the foundation no later than Sept. 21. GRANTS AWARDED: Kilgore College has received four training grants totaling more than $786,000 and has joined with local businesses to train employees. Training is funded through the Texas Workforce Commission's Skills Development Fund, which finances the implementation and design of customized job training projects for businesses and trade unions in an effort to raise the skills level and wages of the Texas workforce. The four grants include money to train 16 new hires and 18 current employees at QC-Nearbore Co. in Kilgore, five current employees at Bass Engineering in Longview and 510 new employees at Convergys in Longview. Kilgore will also be the site of training for 115 new and 60 current Key Energy employees. KICK-OFF REMINDER: Although invitations were sent, one need not have received one -- or be a member of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce -- to attend the second East Texas Kick-Off Luncheon on Wednesday. The event, which recognizes the football programs of area high school and college football programs, will celebrate the beginning of the 2007 football season. Henry Bell III, chamber chief operating officer, said anybody can attend the event, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in The University of Texas at Tyler's Herrington Patriot Center. Admission is $20 per person. Terrence Murphy, coach at Trinity Valley Community College and former Green Bay Packer, Texas Aggie and Chapel Hill player, will be guest speaker. The event is anticipated to attract 31 area high school and college coaches and administrators. One player per team will be awarded a $250 scholarship. David Smoak, KTBB sports director, will be the emcee. SporTyler is the luncheon sponsor. The event is presented by Azalea Orthopedics and Texas Spine & Joint Hospital. To see more of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tylerpaper.com. Copyright (c) 2007, Tyler Morning Telegraph, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |